On Nov. 6, I am voting against the American Legislative Exchange Council, which wages war against our democracy.

Funded by huge corporations, such as Exxon and Monsanto, oil baron Koch brothers and big tobacco, this secretive, powerful group writes model legislation to benefit its members’ bottom lines. State legislators are wined, dined and brainwashed into sponsoring these bills.

Just a few of their policies, out of more than 800 model bills, would begin the gradual process of privatizing Social Security, Medicare and public schools. The word “voucher” is the beginning of the end for these historically successful programs.

ALEC promotes inequality for minorities, opposes bargaining rights for workers, and offers “stand your ground” laws such as Florida’s.

Perhaps the worst threat to our democracy, however, is voter suppression, aimed at making it difficult or impossible for many Americans to vote. In Maine, Secretary of State Charlie Summers, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate and member of ALEC, brought us a voter suppression bill; our people’s veto threw it out.

The following state legislators are members of ALEC as of Oct. 12, listed online by www.Sourcewatch.org:

Sen. Richard Rosen, R-Bucksport; Sen. Debra Plowman, R-Hampden; Sen. Brian Langley, R-Ellsworth; Sen. Christopher Rector, R-Thomaston; Sen. Mike Thibodeau, R-Winterport; Rep. Ryan Harmon, R-Palermo; Rep. James Hamper, R-Oxford.

Former Sen. Carol Weston, R-Mont-ville, is former ALEC state chairman.

When ALEC was exposed last summer by the mainstream press and Bill Moyers (documentary, “The United States of ALEC,” www.Democracy now.org) more than 50 corporations and 70 legislators resigned from ALEC, denouncing it as un-American. Not one Maine legislator quit.

Time to throw these babies out with the ALEC bath water.

Glen Bridges

Freedom